LOS ANGELES, Dec. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Married for over ten years, Oxnard-based couple Roger and Mayra Rosales have enjoyed their kids and family life. Still, one element greatly detracted from their happiness for years. Both struggled with obesity, along with frequent illnesses which were part and parcel to the excessive weight.

"We were always sick," Roger, 30, explains. "Always getting the flu and feeling tired, I guess because we weren't eating well. We always had back problems."

Mayra, 29, also speaks of the constant maladies. "My cholesterol was always so high. I felt like I was always in a bad mood and had headaches."

Now, the husband and wife are relieved of these issues, as a result of the gastric sleeve surgeries they received from expert bariatric surgeon Dr. Michael Feiz, M.D., FACS. A leading bariatric surgeon in Los Angeles, Dr. Feiz has successfully performed countless weight loss procedures, including FDA-compliant Lap Band surgeries. Dr. Feiz and his associates designate the Rosales' as their December Patient Ambassadors, recognizing the couple's hard work and bravery a year after each received the sleeve gastrectomy surgery.

Initially, the Morales' conducted a Google search for "weight loss surgery," and Dr. Feiz' website was one of the first links on the list. Roger's insurance assigned the couple a case manager to research board certified bariatric surgeons. The case manager revealed that Dr. Feiz was the preferred physician. Upon meeting with Dr. Feiz, the patients learned they both qualified for sleeve gastrectomy. During this procedure, a portion of the stomach is removed, limiting the amount of food that can be consumed and reducing the hormone ghrelin which is responsible for appetite. Roger and Mayra connected well with Dr. Feiz and decided to proceed with gastric sleeve.

When the day of the surgeries arrived, Roger was first to undergo the procedure. Following the operation, Dr. Feiz assured Mayra that her husband's surgery had gone well. "Dr. Feiz came to me [before my surgery] and said, 'We are done with Roger, he's doing fine.' That made me feel relaxed… the whole experience was just wonderful."

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Both patients witnessed the benefits of the surgeries in the months that followed. After three months, the husband and wife had lost a significant amount of weight, and by the half-year point, each patient had surpassed the weight loss goals they initially set. At a year mark, Roger has lost over 150 pounds and Mayra has lost about 80 pounds. The couple is no longer sick, as Dr. Feiz and his team instilled the pair with healthy eating habits and a desire to exercise. Even after a year, Dr. Feiz follows up with the Rosales' to see how they are progressing.

"We learned it's not all about the surgery," Mayra states. "Dr. Feiz taught us that you have to eat right and exercise. That it's up to us now, and we are thrilled to do what we have to do."

"The sleeve surgery really is a life-changer," Roger says. "It has helped a lot with our family too, with my wife and kids. We are just really, really happy… Mayra feels like she's 15 again!"

Mayra relates that the surgeries helped rekindle her romance with Roger. "We will go out on Friday or Saturday. We have more couple time with each other…We like what we see in the other person, so that has been better, also."

Both patients realize that these positive outcomes would not have been possible without the superior knowledge and skill of Dr. Feiz.

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